The Great “I Am”

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Being passionate about our life and our purpose begins and continues with being passionate about “our heavenly FATHER.” 

We should always live in amazement about Him and how much He loves us. Everything that once thrilled us about His character should continue day by day filling us with “awe of who He is!”

So what can we do if the wonder and excitement of who GOD is and what He’s done for us begins to fade?

The answer is found in our Scripture today! 

Paul is giving instructions to Timothy when he was battling with fear! Paul told him to stir up (rekindle the fire) the gift of GOD that is in you. It was the gift of faith Paul was talking about. 

2 Timothy 1:6
Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

We have the ability, and it is our responsibility to fan the flames of our faith. Don’t delay; start today. Stir up the fire of passion in your heart for the things of GOD and the awesomeness of who He is: “The Great I Am”!

 

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

New Jerusalem

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

The Apostle John had heard YESHUA’S promise to prepare a place for His followers (John 14:1-6).

Then later in Revelation, Chapter 21, we see GOD giving John a vision of that place; check it out. John saw the new Jerusalem come down out of Heaven. It was beyond human description, but he did his best to put this heavenly vision into our language.

John saw the brilliance of GOD’S glory shining from the structure. The gates were made of pearls and the streets were made of gold. The foundation was made of precious stones! The 1400-mile (approximately), cube-shaped city was designed by the LORD as a place for Himself and believers to live there in perfect intimacy. In it was GOD’S throne and the throne of the Lamb (YESHUA)! 

There will be no more pain, tears, heartaches or death; and our new resurrected bodies will never grow tired or sick! 

Revelation 21:2
Then I, John, saw the Holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

As believers, when life becomes burdensome, we can focus on our glorious heavenly future where we will never again experience trouble or pain! It will be just joy and peace with our Savior forever! 

 

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Heaven, Our True Home

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Because of MESSIAH’S resurrection, we are assured that one day we will have a resurrected body too! Many people have misconceptions about what it will be like when we leave these earthly bodies. Some think that we will just be a formless spirit floating about while others flatly deny the existence of a place called Heaven! 

But the only sure source of accurate information about Heaven is the Word of GOD!

YESHUA had firsthand knowledge of Heaven because He came from the FATHER in Heaven to Earth. And shortly before His death on the ROMAN TORTURE STAKE, He told His disciples that He would return to His FATHER’S house to prepare a place for them.

John 14:2
There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? TLV (Tree of Life Version)

Since then believers have been waiting for YESHUA’S promised return.

Each of us will be given an immortal resurrected body! Heaven is for real, and there we will live, serve and worship our LORD for all eternity!

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Adjusting

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

Our Abba FATHER desires to be involved in every aspect of our life. He gives clear direction in His Word so that we can understand what His will is for every circumstance we encounter! By walking in the center of GOD’S will, we accomplish that which we were created to do. Inevitably, we also experience life at it’s best!                                     

As imperfect humans, we will not automatically be in GOD’S will, and so we must make an effort to seek His way and live according to Biblical precepts. 

GOD is immutable! He is not going to change to suit us. That means we must make whatever adjustments are necessary in order to be obedient to His Word.

Colossians 3:1-2
Since you have been raised to new life with MESSIAH, set your sights on the realities of Heaven, where MESSISH sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth.                    

GOD directs all believers in the way we are to go because He is perfect in all wisdom and knowledge and always knows what is best for us at all times. Only obedient living makes it possible to attain genuine fulfillment!

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation

Hear My Voice (A Devotional)

Encouraging Words with Pastor Bruce & Suzi Elman

STOP WORRYING LONG ENOUGH to hear My voice. I speak softly to you, in the depths of your being. Your mind shuttles back and forth, hither and yon, weaving webs of anxious confusion. As My thoughts rise up within you, they become entangled in those sticky webs of worry. Thus, My voice is muffled, and you hear only white noise.

Ask My Spirit to quiet your mind so that you can think My thoughts. This ability is an awesome benefit of being My child, patterned after My own image. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or that of your own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Sit quietly in My Presence, letting My thoughts reprogram your thinking.

And that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

—Deuteronomy 30:20

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

—Genesis 1:27

 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

—Romans 12:2

 

Love & Blessings,

Pastor Bruce and Suzi Elman

L’Chaim Messianic Congregation